Overthinking Under Pressure: A Sport Psychologist Explains What Actually Helps
Pressure Shows Up When Something Matters
For athletes, parents, coaches, and high performers, that pressure can often present as overthinking and tension. We will replay mistakes, worry about the worst case of outcomes, or attempt to “mentally fix” things in real time.
If you’ve noticed this more at the start of a game, a season, a new year, or during high-stakes moments, you’re not alone. And no, it doesn’t mean you’re weak, something is wrong with you, or that you are suddenly “bad under pressure.”
It means you’re human and that you care.
Why Pressure Increases Overthinking
It all comes back to evolution. Think back to prehistoric times. As humans our primary goal is to survive. Our bodies are built for survival. When there is perceived or actual danger and when the stakes rise, the brain shifts into protection mode.
Our brains scan for potential mistakes and threats that may impact our ability to survive or thrive. This can happen even when nothing is technically going wrong. This response isn’t a lack of mental toughness (which by the way “mental toughness” is not my favorite saying, a blog on that coming soon) or lack of skill. It’s our nervous system doing what it was designed to do: keep you safe and prepared. When this happens people often report anxious feelings and notice a shift in what thoughts begin to show up.
Why Trying to Control Your Mind Often Backfires
Most performers respond to pressure by trying to control their internal experience:
“Calm down.”
“Be confident.”
“Don’t think about messing this up.”
Here’s the catch: the mind doesn’t respond well to force.
Psychologist Daniel Wegner’s research on ironic process theory illustrated that when people try to suppress (push away) certain thoughts, those thoughts often come back more frequently and with more intensely — especially under stress (Wegner, 1994).
Said another way, trying not to think about something under pressure is like telling yourself not to notice or think about an elephant in a pink tutu in the room… while staring directly at it.
This effort to control thoughts pulls attention away from performance and toward internal monitoring. In my work with professional to youth athletes, this is when we start to see performers “get in their heads” and their performance tends to go down.
A Different Approach: Staying Engaged With What Matters
As a sport and performance psychologist, I know there are more effective ways to approach and think about pressure. And most importantly, how to respond not if, but when pressure shows up.
Instead of focusing your energy and efforts on how to get rid of uncomfortable thoughts or feelings, the focus becomes How do I stay engaged with what matters, even when pressure is present?
Acceptance-based performance research shows that athletes perform more consistently when they practice:
Allowing thoughts and emotions to be present without changing their behavior
Staying anchored in the present moment (even when it is uncomfortable)
Acting in alignment with personal values (effort, communication)
Studies using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)–informed approaches have found improvements in performance, attentional control, and psychological flexibility in athletes (Gardner & Moore, 2004; 2007).
Translation:
You don’t need a controlled and quiet mind to perform at your best; you just need a connected and directed mind. What I hear often is that pressure and uncomfortable thoughts are hard to experience. True. But what I also hear whether it is a top CEO of a fortune 500 company or a 17-year-old basketball player, is that when equipped with the tools to allow our inner experience to be what it is while staying consistent with the plan, we not only hit our goals but enjoy the process as well. So how do we do this?
Put It In Practice
The next time you notice pressure showing up, do this:
Name it
“Pressure is here.” (No analysis or judgment required.)Allow it
No fixing, forcing, or arguing with it. Create space for it.Commit to Action
Choose one small action aligned with what is important to you. (i.e. effort, presence, communication, composure.)
To effectively perform well you don’t need pressure to disappear. You just want to stop negotiating with your mind mid-performance.
When Additional Support Can Help
If pressure or overthinking consistently interferes with your performance and enjoyment of your performance, working with a sport or performance psychologist can help build skills for focus, flexibility, and resilience. Please reach out to us.
Mental training isn’t about fixing you. You are not broken. It’s about expanding your options and staying consistent when things matter most. What a privilege it is to be involved with something we deeply care about. There is gratitude within the pressure.
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Wegner, D. M. (1994). Ironic processes of mental control. Psychological Review, 101(1), 34–52.
Gardner, F. L., & Moore, Z. E. (2004). A mindfulness-acceptance-commitment–based approach to athletic performance enhancement. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 707–723.
Thanks for reading!!!
Allie Wagener, Ph.D., LP, CMPC
Sport and Performance Psychologist
